MIAMI, FL – Representatives Frederica S. Wilson and Alcee Hastings led a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis concerning reports that his administration has instructed health directors to not issue recommendations requested by school boards struggling to make difficult decisions about if and when to return to in-person instruction.
The Florida Department of Education has told districts that they can only continue to delay school re-openings based on the recommendation of health officials. The letter calls on Governor DeSantis to stop the harmful politicization of critical public health decisions, rescind any directives that have been issued to health directors to censor themselves, and make it clear that health directors may issue informed advice without fear of reprisal.
“We strongly fear that preventing health directors from making informed recommendations endangers children, teachers and staff, and high-risk members of our community by limiting the ability of public officials to make fact-based decisions. We understand that numerous health officials have said they were pressured by your administration to not give a formal recommendation about whether to reopen schools,” the letter reads. “Consequently, without guidance, some district officials have said they felt compelled to return to in-person learning despite concerns about the potentially harmful impact on public health.”
“Figuring out how to prevent children from falling further behind in their education while prioritizing safety is one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “It’s shameful that Governor DeSantis is blocking public health officials from weighing in on these enormously impactful decisions choosing instead to apply political pressure to force districts to return to in-person learning regardless of the local context and community concerns.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Charlie Crist (FL-13), Val B. Demings (FL-10), Ted E. Deutch (FL-22), Lois Frankel (FL-21), Al Lawson, Jr. (FL-5), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23).
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